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Murphy Elementary

Q: Is Murphy Elementary a good school?

Murphy Elementary ranks 692 nd of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

692^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,490 North Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 54% of North Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Murphy Elementary is a public elementary school serving 516 students in grades PK-5 in Murphy, North Carolina. It is part of the Cherokee County Schools district, which is ranked 138 out of 242 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Murphy Elementary generally outperforms the district and state in standardized test scores, with 5th-grade science proficiency at 68.6% compared to 63.1% for the district and 62% for the state. The school also has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of around 12-13 students per teacher, lower than the state average. However, the school's performance on test scores for certain subgroups, such as White students and students with disabilities, is relatively lower compared to the school's overall performance and the state averages for those subgroups.

While Murphy Elementary outperforms nearby schools in the Cherokee County Schools district, such as Andrews Elementary and Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle, the nearby Peachtree Elementary has significantly higher test scores and a higher school ranking, suggesting it may be a higher-performing school within the same district.

467

Students ?

11.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,640

Per pupil spending ?

99.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

315 Valley River Avenue
Murphy, NC 28906-2830

(828) 837-2424

District: Cherokee County Schools

Students who attend Murphy Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Murphy Middle
High:	Murphy High

Racial breakdown:

White:

82.7%

Two or more races:

9.0%

Hispanic:

3.9%

See top rated North Carolina elementary schools

Compare Murphy Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 66th percentile in 2015 → 54th in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the North Carolina median (54th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 12 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school57%

District avg53%

North Carolina avg57%

692^nd of 1,490

North Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 46%▼ down 13 pts since 2015

From top 34% (2015) to top 46% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of North Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 5Elementary Schools in the Cherokee County Schools

138^th of 242Cherokee County Schools among North Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	52.9	692 of 1490	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.1	817 of 1505	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.0	735 of 1502	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.0	620 of 1514	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	67.9	427 of 1489	71.3%	★★★★☆
2019	63.8	509 of 1473	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.9	514 of 1434	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	61.7	543 of 1429	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	54.9	643 of 1425	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	65.1	483 of 1440	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	59.4	547 of 1390	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	55.1	581 of 1403	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	61.5	572 of 1388	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	63.0	568 of 1381	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	61.6	584 of 1363	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2009	67.3	453 of 1354	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2008	71.4	326 of 1324	75.4%	★★★★☆
2007	60.1	547 of 1293	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	47.0	758 of 1276	40.6%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	35.6	393 of 634	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	23.8	558 of 646	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.5	733 of 878	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.4	604 of 897	32.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	56.8	603 of 1451	58.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.6	773 of 1455	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	54.7	643 of 1459	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.9	476 of 1458	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	73.5	307 of 1440	78.7%	★★★★☆
2019	69.0	402 of 1424	71.8%	★★★★☆
2018	60.8	572 of 1405	59.3%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	65.3	118 of 612	80.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	56.1	557 of 1437	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.2	721 of 1450	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.5	590 of 1437	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.9	411 of 1366	69.9%	★★★★☆
2021	66.6	310 of 1329	76.7%	★★★★☆
2019	50.9	658 of 1361	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.8	360 of 1332	73.0%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	47.5	772 of 1450	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.8	832 of 1464	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.4	761 of 1461	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.5	708 of 1464	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	56.3	599 of 1444	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.3	611 of 1430	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.6	456 of 1413	67.7%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	38.0	493 of 821	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.8	512 of 801	36.1%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	North Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	25.2	960 of 1172	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.1	989 of 1166	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.9	912 of 1183	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.7	840 of 1194	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	40.6	714 of 1172	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.3	827 of 1183	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.2	829 of 1178	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Gifted and Talented (2019)81st percentile+15 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)61st percentile+8 vs school

Female (2025)58th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2025)47th percentile-7 vs school

Special Education (2025)40th percentile-14 vs school

Disabled (2022)38th percentile-21 vs school

White (2025)18th percentile-35 vs school

By subject vs North Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Science69%+7 vs state

Mathematics57%-4 vs state

Reading53%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Murphy Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				EOG Mathematics (2025)			EOG Reading (2025)			EOG Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOG Mathematics 3rd Grade	EOG Mathematics 4th Grade	EOG Mathematics 5th Grade	EOG Reading 3rd Grade	EOG Reading 4th Grade	EOG Reading 5th Grade	EOG Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Murphy Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	315 Valley River Avenue	Murphy	28906	Cherokee County	Cherokee County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 837-2424	467	39	11.9	99.4%	386 (82.7%)	11 (2.4%)	18 (3.9%)	6 (1.3%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	42 (9.0%)	52.9	692^nd of 1490 public elementary schools	53.6%		46.1	817^th of 1505 public elementary schools	45.7%	125	61.0	53.7	54.3	44.2	58.2	58.6	68.6	$12,640	$1,376	$11,264
Peachtree Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	30 Upper Peachtree Road	Murphy	28906	Cherokee County	Cherokee County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 837-2479	166	14	11.6	97.6%	142 (85.5%)	2 (1.2%)	12 (7.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (4.2%)	81.5	231^st of 1490 public elementary schools	84.5%		71.2	384^th of 1505 public elementary schools	74.5%	153	84.0	70.6	81.0	66.7	47.1	76.2	81.0	$14,802	$1,757	$13,045
Martins Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1459 Tobe Stalcup Road	Murphy	28906	Cherokee County	Cherokee County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 837-2831	137	9	14.6	97.8%	122 (89.1%)	3 (2.2%)	6 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.2%)	36.1	979^th of 1490 public elementary schools	34.3%		67.9	444^th of 1505 public elementary schools	70.5%	535	50.0	33.3	50.0	45.0	53.3	54.2	50.0	$14,033	$1,512	$12,522
Ranger Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	101 Hardy Truett Road	Murphy	28906	Cherokee County	Cherokee County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 644-5111	264	20	13.3	98.9%	241 (91.3%)	2 (0.8%)	13 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.0%)	55.3	648^th of 1490 public elementary schools	56.5%		64	508^th of 1505 public elementary schools	66.2%	140	55.3	68.3	69.7	38.3	56.1	51.5	78.8	$11,981	$1,248	$10,733
Hayesville Elementary	Public	3-5	72 Elementary School Drive	Hayesville	28904	Clay County	Clay County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 389-8586	280	19	14.7	98.9%	242 (86.4%)	1 (0.4%)	24 (8.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.6%)	64.2	495^th of 1490 public elementary schools	66.8%		75.7	318^th of 1505 public elementary schools	78.9%	177	68.9	71.8	50.0	50.4	71.8	57.0	67.4	$10,584	$1,072	$9,511
Hayesville Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	698 Anderson St	Hayesville	28904	Clay County	Clay County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 389-3763	375	25	15.0	99.2%	317 (84.5%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (10.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.8%)								(n/a)
Andrews Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	205 Jean Christy Ave.	Andrews	28901	Cherokee County	Cherokee County Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(828) 321-4415	330	23	14.3	99.1%	250 (75.8%)	12 (3.6%)	47 (14.2%)	2 (0.6%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.5%)	22.4	1236^th of 1490 public elementary schools	17.0%		24.6	1200^th of 1505 public elementary schools	20.3%	36	42.4	48.2	21.8	33.9	58.9	27.3	45.5	$12,783	$1,671	$11,111

Frequently Asked Questions about Murphy Elementary

How many students attend Murphy Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 467 students attended Murphy Elementary.

Is Murphy Elementary a good school?

Murphy Elementary ranks 692^nd of 1490 North Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Murphy Elementary?

Students at Murphy Elementary are 83% White, 9% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, 2% African American, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Murphy Elementary attend?

Students who attend Murphy Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Murphy Middle
High : Murphy High

What district is Murphy Elementary in?

Cherokee County Schools

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.